Visit the Cotswold town of Painswick

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The sweet Cotswolds town of Painswick is a must-visit

Tucked into the hills of Gloucestershire, England, is the Cotswolds town of Painswick. The Cotswolds are a string of hills, dotted with sweet brick-filled towns, in Gloucestershire. And when I lived in the UK I had the pure joy of living really close to the Cotswolds. This meant many a weekend adventure up into the hills to discover another picture-esque town, and for someone who comes from a country that is only a few hundred years old, anything that’s older than that is my happy place.

The Cotswolds are rather famous in English, and aboard too, it turns out, with many tourists making a stop at one of the many towns that make them up. There are some of the larger towns such as Cheltenham, Cirencester, Stroud, Witney and Tewkesbury, and then little towns like Painswick, the Slaughters, Bibury and Stow on the Wold. (I just love their names too!)

Painswick is known as ‘The Queen of the Cotswolds’, and it’s located on the A46 through the Stroud District of Gloucestershire, so if you’re on a road trip or a cycling trip, you’ll need to go straight through it. It’s worth the stop for a wander.

When I lived in England I visited Painswick several times (I actually bought my favourite mug from there!), and I love all the houses and buildings. They’re made from a light, almost honey-coloured brick, which I learnt later is called Cotswolds Stone, which is a type of limestone. You can find these light-coloured bricks all through this area, and it really makes for picture-esque scenery.

All the houses have cute names like ‘The Weavers House’, ‘Coomb House’, and ‘Daisy Corner’. The footpaths are about a foot wide, where there are footpaths, and the Catholic Church graveyard has huge trees which are kept in large oval shapes, rather than left to grow how they may.

3 Things to Do in Painswick, Gloucestershire

Like most of the Cotswold villages, Painswick is small, and there are limited things to do there, but it makes for a lovely morning or afternoon out. Other than wandering around the village and popping into shops and cafes, here are some things to do in Painswick.

Rococo Garden

Check out the beautiful Rococo Garden, which was designed in the 1740s (honestly, those dates just blow my mind!), and restored in the 1980s. There are multiple spots that make for the perfect Instagram shot (you know what I mean haha), and the wander through the gardens themselves is stunning. Be sure to check the opening times before you visit, as they shut for some time over the winter months.

Parish Church of St Mary

When ‘medieval church’ is tagged onto any website or signage, I’m there. St Mary is in the heart of Painswick, and it has these impressive trees that line the paths, as I mentioned before. The tower has 14 bells, and ‘over 300 embroidered kneelers depicting biblical scenes, local scenes, animals, birds and memorials to local people’ (source). There are some pretty big church grounds around the building, and it’s free to wander through. Be sure to be respectful as you take a look.

Painswick Circular Ride

Like many of the Cotswolds villages (and actually, many places around England, we discovered!), the town is perfect for rambling or cycling. There’s even a Circular Ride you can do, and a free downloadable map that you can follow as you journey around the town. It’s a hilly route though, so if flat-cycling is your jam, then perhaps this one isn’t for you.

Along the route are some of the things I’ve already mentioned – Rococo Garden and the Church – but also include Miserden Park Gardens, the town itself, and surrounding fields. There are lots of stop points along the way, but you’ll start and end in Painswick.

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There are so many places to explore in this neck of the woods, and I managed to get to quite a few of the villages in the Cotswolds when I lived there. I would love to go back and do more exploring though!

Do you place to visit Painswick? Or have you in the past? Let me know your experience in the comments!